Fandom always comes with a short list of names you never want to see in the opposing lineup, and for the Orioles, this winter brings a few welcome departures. Baltimore had its share of troublemakers this season, including several AL East foes who kept doing damage when they faced the Birds. The good news for Birdland is that all of them are headed for free agency.
Trent Grisham was one of the Yankees’ steadier problems for Baltimore. His overall season in center field wasn’t especially strong - his OPS dropped by more than 100 points - but none of that showed up when he faced the Orioles.
In 10 games against them, Grisham hit .286 with an OPS north of 1.000. He piled up four doubles, three homers and 10 RBI, and his 193 WRC+ ranked ninth among the 71 hitters with at least five plate appearances against Baltimore.
George Springer also found a way to make life easier on himself against the Orioles. The veteran outfielder, now 13 years into his MLB career, couldn’t fully repeat his resurgent 2025 season at age 36, but he still handled Baltimore well.
Springer came to the plate 50 times against the Orioles, the eighth-most plate appearances of any hitter against them this year, and hit .304 with a .782 OPS. His six-year deal is up, and Baltimore will be hoping his next stop is somewhere else.
On the pitching side, David Bednar was just as annoying for the Orioles as the hitters were. The Yankees closer, who is set to hit free agency after a strong season, faced Baltimore five times and never gave up a run.
He limited Orioles batters to a .188 average and a .387 OPS. Across the full season, Bednar logged nearly 70 innings, posted a 2.47 ERA and converted 35 saves.
Ryan Yarbrough rounds out the list. The tall left-hander has been in the majors since 2018, and most of that time has come in the AL East.
Baltimore is one of just two teams he has topped 100 innings against in his career, and while his 3.92 ERA against the Orioles overall wasn’t eye-popping, he was sharp against them in 2026 with the Yankees. In three outings, he worked 8 1/3 innings and allowed just one earned run.
Orioles hitters managed only a .212 average and a .447 OPS against him, and if Baltimore gets its way, he’ll be wearing a different uniform next season.
In Other News...
Orioles Just Made A Risky Bet On Their Rotation Future
The Orioles spent part of their recent roster-building push doubling down on the middle of their rotation future, agreeing to five-year extensions with Shane Baz and Kyle Bradish. It is the kind of move that shows confidence in two pitchers with different paths to Baltimore, one arriving from the Rays in a trade built around prospects and a draft pick, the other developing almost entirely in the organization after coming over in a 2019 deal.
For a club that has tried to balance present contention with longer-term stability, the timing says plenty about how Baltimore views both arms despite their uneven performance and injury histories. Baz is now secured through 2030 and Bradish through 2031, giving the Orioles control over two starters they clearly believe can anchor the rotation, even if the risks are obvious and the payoff is still very much to come. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Enter A Defining Offseason Stretch With Tough Roster Calls
The Orioles are barely into the offseason, but the front office already has a stack of decisions waiting before an expected Dec. 1 lockout freezes the market. Baltimore has to sort through qualifying offers, arbitration cases and a roster that still needs clarity in the rotation and outfield, all while weighing whether some prospects are ready to help now or better used as trade pieces.
Trevor Rogers, Ryan Helsey, Zach Eflin, Luis Robert Jr. and Ryan Mountcastle are all part of the early conversation, and the clubs choices on those names will shape both the immediate roster and the longer view. With seven players eligible for arbitration, the Orioles are in that familiar spot where every move seems connected, and the next few weeks should reveal how aggressively they plan to reshape the roster before the winter calendar tightens. [Read more 🡒]